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Fast-food workers begin nationwide strikes for higher wages

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Workers rally for higher wages outside a Taco Bell last month in Warren, Michigan. Today, fast-food workers across the country, including those in New York, have begun striking in support of $15 an hour wages and the right to unionize.
(Jessica J. Trevino/Detroit Free Press/MCT)

Fast-food workers throughout the country have begun striking today, as expected, in cities like New York, Chicago and Detroit seeking wage increases, The Associated Press reported.
New Jersey is not among the planned strike locations.

Workers are seeking substantial pay increases, to $15 an hour, and the right to unionize. Scattered protests have taken place in the last year throughout the country, but today's strike is expected to be the biggest, involving 50 cities with workers from McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's and KFC, organizers said.

In Manhattan, City Council Speaker and mayoral candidate Christine Quinn joined about 300 to 400 protesters in a march before flooding inside a McDonald's near the Empire State Building, The AP reported.

The amount of money workers are seeking would more than double the existing federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, or about $15,000 a year for full-time employees.

The Service Employees International Union, which represents more than 2 million works in health care, janitorial and other industries, has been providing financial support and training for local organizers around the country.

It's unclear whether there is a single group leading the nationwide action, but a group calling itself Low Pay Is Not Ok appears to have the most information about the strikes and reasons behind them.

New Jersey's minimum wage stands at $7.25 an hour, but a November ballot question seeks to increase it to $8.25. Gov. Chris Christie rejected the Legislature’s attempt to raise the minimum wage to $8.50, instead suggesting a three-year gradual increase to $8.25. Christie also took out the part of the Legislatures’ bill that included automatic cost of living increases.

According to The AP, McDonald's and Burger King say they don't make decisions about pay for the independent franchisees that operate the majority of their U.S. restaurants. Wendy's and Yum Brands Inc., which owns KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, did not respond to requests for comment.

Workers were also expected to walk off their jobs in cities including Atlanta, Boston, Hartford, Conn., Las Vegas and Los Angeles.